Stupid Tests!

See that pregnancy test down there? With the second pink line that supposedly means you're pregnant?

Turns out I wasn't. Again!

Fortunately my First Response Early Results test had arrived from Amazon that morning, so I couldn't wait to go and use it to confirm the results from that cheap test (pic above). I never believe I'm pregnant until I've seen the two pink lines on a FRER because everyone knows that they are the Queen of pregnancy tests. After that one I usually graduate to a digital test (addict? me?).

Anyway I peed on that one as soon as I'd stored up enough pee, and not drunk anything. I mean, obviously I don't want diluted urine because then it might give a false negative etc etc (trying to get pregnant might be making me a little bit crazy),and it was a Big Fat Negative.

Well it possibly was.

They put them in those cases with a shiny window, and we all know that the shiny window could possibly be hiding a line. The light shines on it and all sorts ;)
So next I have to get out a sharp knife (that I keep in the bedroom just for this purpose)and prise the case open. Yes you read that right. I prise the case open so that I can take take a better look. You never know. The line might just be shy, so you have to hold it up to the light, look at a different angle, stand on your head Just in case.
Well after doing all of the above, it was still depressingly blank. I couldn't even make myself imagine the line there!

So one minute pregnant, next minute, not.

Story of my life.

CD1 today.

p.s yes I have peed on that stick. Bet you're all so glad I like to over share on the internet ;)

Clever Boys

Everyone thinks their children are brilliant don't they? Surely not just me ;)

Well I now have proof that mine are.

Eldest son got a 2:1 BSc Hons Music Technology with Management

and

Middle son got a triple distinction * in Applied Science (Forensic Science)

and not to leave my precious Brandon out, he can count to 10 and can recognise the letters of the alphabet (thanks to the Alphablocks magazine )

Extremely proud of all of them

Pre-conception Appointment

Yesterday was the day of my hospital appointment to discuss further plans for a healthy pregnancy. I felt sick and ill all morning waiting for my hospital appointment. I really don't know why I get myself so worked up.

My diabetic consultant was his usual self, asking me if I really wanted another baby. As I've said befor he doesn't think it's a good idea. However he did listen to me. He suggested starting on Metformin now, so that my blood sugars are better controlled for when/if I get pregnant again. I didn't even have to ask.

He also sent me for a load of blood tests. I told him about my low BBT so he put Thyroid on the blood request form, vitamin D and some others I couldn't read.
He said as I've had 3 miscarriages now that he'd have a word with my other consultant, the one that I see for the pregnancy, to see if he wanted to start me on aspirin or do any more investigations.

That Consultant is lovely, so that wasn't a problem. He's always positive and supportive. He said that he doesn't think I have a condition that rejects the baby so Aspirin wouldn't help at the preconception stage, but I do have to start it at 11 weeks.

I asked if the problem is due to my age, and he said quite emphatically that he didn't think it was. He thinks it's the diabetes that's causing the problems, so hes hoping the metformin will help to stabilise my sugars in early pregnancy, and bring about a good outcome.

I told him that the last two times I've been pregnant and made an appt with him I've had a miscarriage so should I wait until I'm a bit further on. He said no. Even if I do have a miscarriage I'm not wasting their time and the earlier I'm seen the better chance of a full term pregnancy.

I think that about sums it all up. I was quite pleased with the outcome and keeping my fingers tightly crossed that it helps.

So all that stress for nothing. A very good appt I think

Third Time Unlucky

Some of you might have noticed my mysteriously disappearing FF chart.

I'm afraid it's because I was once again pregnant. Was!

Unfortunately I had another miscarriage. It was another early one, but it doesn't make it any less sad for me. I'm so annoyed that my body just cannot keep a baby nice and safe.

It's been nearly a year since we decided to start trying again for another baby. Three miscarriages in 6 months and we're no closer to having one.

I'm beginning to think my high blood sugars are the problem. As soon as I'm pregnant they get really high (even just a little bit pregnant). They're as high now in early pregnancy as they were in my last trimester with Brandon.

As soon as I'm not pregnant, they are perfectly normal.

I have an appointment at the preconception clinic on 22nd June. I'm hoping that they will suggest taking Metformin as soon as I'm pregnant to try and control the diabetes, and hopefully one day I'll get to have another baby.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Floods

We get all the excitment on holiday.

We decided that we'd go to our caravan for the second time this year and have a nice long relaxing break. It was nice, and long, but not really relaxing, due to the fact that we had the worst floods for a hundred years (probably).

We were woken up at 6am by that lovely sound of torrential rain on the caravan roof, and the caravan rocking from side to side in the wind. It carried on like that all day, with not a minutes break. So we sat in the caravan all day, watching TV, with middle son complaining for the hundredth time that he wanted to go back home to see the football.

When we went to bed that night, the rain was still as bad as it had been at 6am that morning. We were woken up around 8am by voices outside, but that was nothing new, so we thought nothing of it. Then I looked at my phone to see lots of text messages asking if we were ok and had we had to be airlifted. I thought "well that's a bit dramatic" and replied "no, we were fine".

I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to get up. The first thing I did was look out of the window and this is what I saw





I shouted "Paul. I think you need to get up".

He looked out the window and because our site slopes it had only reached the front wheels of his car. No problem, he decided, he'd just back the car up onto the grass and leave the front wheels on the concrete just out of the way of the water.

Hour by hour the water crept closer and closer to the car, so he moved it totally on the grass, which made me panic because it was waterlogged and I thought the car would get stuck.

By around 11am the caravans opposite were knee deep, and we couldn't see the first couple of steps to our first door. It was at this point, as we were hanging out of the door that the Manager of the site shouted to us from the other side of the bank that there was going to be a high tide at 12pm, and that we should get our things together and go to the clubhouse, which is higher up on the hill.

I threw everything into our suitcases and made sure we had clothes, food and drinks for Brandon and we paddled out of the second door where it wasn't too deep. We were able to push the pushchair through it ok, and managed to dodge our way through the site, avoiding the deeper water.

We made our way to the front, where, bizarrely, there was a man playing the bagpipes on the beach.

After high tide we decided to go back to see if we could still get into our caravan. The road from the site was completely shut off and all the roads around us were flooded, so we didn't have much choice. We either spent the night in the car (which by now was parked on a hill), or tried to get back into our caravan.

When we got back the water had risen even more and was just to the first step on our second set of door, so at least we could still get it. We had soggy feet, but nothing too bad. It continued to rise and rise until the whole of our caravan was surrounded and there was no way of getting out again until it had gone down (not without getting extremely wet anyway)

By evening the water had stopped rising, and just seemed to stabilise, not getting worse, but not getting any better.

We played games, like "spot what's floating past the window now" lol. It was like a really bad version of the end of the "Generation Game"

The next morning the water was back to the level it was at 8am the previous morning and it slowly went down at about the same rate it rose.

We were able to actually see the path and drive out of the site to go home around 5.30pm.

So that was the end to our lovely relaxing holiday.

World's Most Dangerous Roads

I love that programme, mainly because I like to watch it and think "I'd never be that mental"

Well I might not be, but my husband and SatNav obviously are!!

The second day of our relaxing holiday we decided to go out for the day. When we saw the miles of traffic and the roadworks, we thought that maybe we'd made a mistake.

But it was OK. We had the clever SatNav with us and "she" knew a way around the traffic. Oh yes she did!!

The road started off ok ish. A bit narrow, but then most of the roads in Wales are, so I wasn't too bothered. We passed a honey farm at the beginning of the road. It apparently had a car park. Bit hard to tell though, as one sign said "Car Park" and one next to it said "Don't even think of parking here". Well we didn't want any honey anyway, so there!!

We carried on and on and on. The road climbed higher and got narrower and narrower, until there was just a sheer drop on one side. I have actually never been so terrified in my life. I had a panic attack. I felt sick and couldn't breathe. I prayed that a car didn't come in the opposite direction, there was no way we could have reversed!!

Then out of nowhere appeared a woman and a dog. I seriously have no idea what she was doing up there, or where she'd come from. She stopped on the side of the road and put her hands together like she was praying. Then I panicked. I said to Paul "what's she doing??" "why is she praying for us??" I was convinced that she was praying because the road got worse. So Paul wound down his window and asked what she was doing? She said "oh I'm just saying thank you for not running my dog over" (no I'm not dramatic at all lol)

Eventually we came to the end of the road. Right back to the bloody beginning of the roadworks.

Although my husband says that it did get us further than if we'd sat in the traffic.

Whatever!! I'm never ever taking that shortcut again!!

Holiday

Here's my holiday in a nutshell. I will elaborate later.

1. SatNav took us on the most terrifying "short-cut" in the world. It should be on World's Most Dangerous Roads

2. An old man thought Brandon was a little girl called Brenda.

3. We went to the smallest fete in Wales.

4. We won a raffle prize from the world's smallest fete and then had to go to a house on the side of a cliff to collect it.

5. Middle son moaned all the time because he wanted to get back to watch the football.

6. Torrential floods with people being airlifted. We were evacuated from our caravan, but managed to survive.

Bet you all wish you'd come with me, don't you???